Matlab Basics

Yaara Erez

MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

November 2013
 MatLab Matrix Laboratory

Programming environment based on matrix

representations.

Mainly useful for data analysis, simulations

(research, engineering).

Contains a large set of ready-to-use functions.

Easy graphics.
 Why is programming important?

It gives you the power to do whatever you want with

your data / experiment / simulations, without being
limited by off-the-shelf software
It significantly enhances your capabilities as
researchers.

Some of the commonly used software in research are

Matlab-based (like SPM for fMRI/MEG data analysis).
 This talk

Matlab basics
- Variables
- Matlab programming environment
- Editor, scripts, functions

Practice practice practice!

 Variables
A variable: a place in memory with a
name that contains a value.

Variables types 2 basic types in

Matlab (roughly speaking):
- Numeric: single element (scalar), array,
multi-dimensional array.
- Text: character, string (array
ofcharacters).
 A few words about syntax
Syntax is the set of rules that define the combinations of
symbols that are considered to be correctly structured
programs in a programming language.

In other words, it is the vocabulary and grammar with

which we write our code, such that it will be
unambiguously understandable by the programming
language.

- When defining a variable, refer to it later exactly in the same

name. Tip: use copy & paste.
- Typos are unacceptable.
- Matlab is case-sensitive.
 Defining numeric variables
x = 1 ; (scalar, integer)
numSubjects = 8; (meaningful name)
Semicolon (;) at the end of a
command prevents echo in
the command line

myScalar = 1.1; (scalar, rational (decimal) number)

myVec = [1 2 3]; (one-dimensional array)

myVec = [1.2 2 3]; (one-dimensional array with mixed integers and

rational numbers)
 Arrays and indexing
Array a set of ordered elements.
Indexing Every element in the array has a place called index.
- The i-th element is the element in the i-th place.
Defining arrays:
- myVec = [3 1 7 9 4]; the index of 7 is 3
Retrieval Getting an element from a specific index in the array.
- arrayName(index)
- myVec(3) 7
Assignment an element can be replaced:
- arrayName(index) = newValue
- myVec(3) = 5 myVec = [3 1 5 9 4]

myVec(1) myVec(2) myVec(3) myVec(4) myVec(5)

3 1 7 9 4
 Matrices
Matrix 2D array (table).
Elements are ordered in 2 dimensions: rows and columns.
M x N matrix M rows, N columns.
Example:
myFirstMat = [1 2 3; 4 5 6];

N=4
1 2 3

4 5 6
M=5
 Matrices - indexing

Indexing: the aij element is the element in the i-th row and
the j-th column.

a11 a1n
Example:

5 4 a amn

8 12
m1
7 1 9 3
11 5 2 13
a23
3 6 10 8
 Arrays
Vector one-dimensional array.
Row: 1 x N array.
Column: N x 1 array
Matrix two-dimensional array
Table with rows and columns: M x N
Three-dimensional array/matrix a rectangular coboid of
elements.
Dimensions M x N x K.
Multi-dimensional arrays/matrices

All these arrays are simply the same data-type in Matlab, with
just different dimensions, or size.
 A few more notes about arrays

Assign values to a variable directly to its place in the array:

myVar(2,3) = 5;
myVar([1 2],3) = [5 6];
Assign a value of one variable to another variable:
x(2) = y;
Delete an element from an array:
myVec = [1 2 3 4];
myVec(2) = [];
myVec([2 3]) = [];
 Text variables

Text variables are comprised of characters and marked with .

myChar = h;
myChar = 5; (this is not the number 5 but rather the
character 5)

A text variable can contain more than one character string

(an array of characters).
firstString = hello;
secondString = world;
longerOne = hello world;
longerOne2 = [firstString secondString]; (whats wrong
with that?)
Matlab programming environment
 Current Directory
The current directory is the directory, or path, to which
Matlab currently refers when reading/writing files,
unless a different path is specified for a file.

When opening Matlab, it is recommended to change

the current directory to the one that you are working
with.
It makes it easier to manage/find/save files.

Use full paths when referring to files whenever

possible, to avoid any confusion with files being saved
at the current directory.
 Basic functions

Matlab has a HUGE number of ready-to-use

functions/commands. These are very useful and one
of the major advantages of Matlab.
Examples: length, size, pwd, clc, clear, disp, sum, mean
,std, zeros, rand, randn, save, load, and many more

Avoid naming variables/functions with the same name as the

basic functions it temporarily overrides them in the
current workspace.
Tip: Use variable/function names with _ (vec_size), mix of small and
capital letters (vecSize), prefix such as my (myVar), this (thisRun),
etc.
 Code files

Matlab code files have a .m extension.

They include the lines of code.
Use the Matlab editor to edit and run code files
Scripts
Functions
More on that in the next talk.
 Help!

help name_of_function
lookfor keyword
helpdesk
Internet
 Examples

MatlabBasics.m
MatlabBasicsExtra.m
 Practice 1
Open Matlab and change the current directory to a folder of your
choice.
In the command window, do the following:
Create a 1x5 array with numeric values as you like.
Find the variable in the workspace and double-click it to see its
content.
Change the value of the 3rd element in the array. Make sure you can
see this change in the workspace.
Delete the 4th element in the array.
Use size function to check for the size of the array.
Use length function to check for the length of the array.
Clear all the variables and command window using clear and clc.
 Practice 2
Create a Matlab code file and save it in your current directory. In
this file, do the following:
Create a 3x4 matrix with values as you like.
Change the value of the element in the 2nd row and 3rd column.
Change all the values in the 2nd column at once by assigning a new
vector.
Swap columns 1 and 3.
Delete the 4th column.
Use size function to check for the size of the matrix.
 Practice 3
In the command window, do the following:
Create a text variable that contains one word.
Create another text variable that contains one or more words.
Concatenate the two strings to create a third variable.
Display one of the strings in the command window using disp
function.